Lamp for motor vehicles



June 10, 1930. H, MORETON 1,762,877

LAMP FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 2, 19 28 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 filllllilllllllll June 10, 1930. H. H. MORETON LAMP FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I jwvemto'p M Liam Patented June 10, 1-930 v U STATES PATENT orFlcE HENRY H. monnron, or SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA \LAIMP FOB MOTOR VEHICLES Application filed February 2, 1928. 7 Serial No. 251,418.

This invention is an apparatus for impartvided with trunnions'14, by means of which ing various movements to a spot light lamp of it is pivotally mounted in the forward ends the type commonly employed on motor vehiof supporting arms 14*, in a position adjacent cles, but is not limited to this particular type to the open end 12, so as to project a beam of j of lamps. light outwardly throughsaid opening. .The 55 One of the objects of the invention is to rear ends of sa1d arms are securedto a motor provide means of simple construction for casing 15, which is secured to brackets 16 rocking a lamp on a horizontal axis, so as to rigidly secured to the rear wall 11. direct a forwardly projected beam of light Said casing 15 encloses an electric motor both upwardly and downwardly. A further controlled by circuit wires leading through 60 object is to provide means for also imparting a cable 17. Push buttons Rand L are conlateral movements to the lamp, so that the nected with these wires in a well known manbeam of light may be projected to either side ner to control forward and reverse rotations of the vehicle as well as forwardly. A furof said motor. Another push button B is also ther object is to provide means by wgiich the located adjacent the other push buttons and 65 up and down movements and the lateral is connected with the cable 18 leading from movements may take place simultaneously. the lamp 13, so as to open or close the circuit A further object is to provide means for auto said lamp. j

. tomatically cutting off the circuit to the Secured to the motor shaft 18 is a pinion lamp while it is being moved through a prede- WhlCh meshes With a gear 20, secured to 70 termined portion of the arc of its vertical a Sha.ft 21 mounted in suitable bearings promovement, so as to prevent the beam from Vlded by ck 22 d pending from the being directed into the eyes of the driver of an f 035mg 1 S i g r i pr vided approaching vehicle. A further object is to Wlth a Crank P 2 to which 1 Connected so construct the said circuit control means 9 end of a p t an 24:, h Other end of Which that it will be unaffected by those movements connected to a finger 5 y one of of the lamp which are'required to direct thethe trunmons The Shaft 21 13 Provided beamlaterally with respect to the vehicle on with a Worm 26 meshing with a Q 1 W whi h it i t d, 27 fixedly secured to a shaft 28 which 1s rig- The invention will be hereinafter fully set y held in a bracket Said bracket y 80 I be of any of the well known forms for attache ing a spotlight to a motor vehicle. As shown it is constructed of two clamping members shaped to engage a portion of the vehicle forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view 3 illustrating a casing with the invention apy, the fi p P s bemg Plfy 8 plied thereto. Figure 2 is a transverse secmeans offillltable nuts 111 a 119311116! W611 tional view on the line 22. Figures 3 and f Q In h Th6 e g of P 4 are detail' views illustrating the auto- 1 g 10 1s earned y the bracket rests Q0 matic cut-out device for the lamp. Figure p a 3 fi f t0 Shaft 3- r 5 is a side elevation illustrating a slight modi- I11 P 9 Whlle l l 0f h P h h ltfication of the lamp-supporting means. 3 B 1 P 'f d, e motor Shaft 1 R f rri g t th drawings 10 d i t is rotated 1n the direction indicated by the a cylindrical casing constructed of any deqn hic may have en le d, and sired material, said casing being closed at one as a1 sh f 18 r tated, the gear 20 is also 95 end by a wall 11, and open at its otherend rotated, and through the pitman connection 12. The lamp 13 which is conventionally ilmovement is'imparted to the reflector casing lustrated, may be of any desired construction, on a horizontal axis represented by the trunpreferably provided with the usual parabolic nions 14. At the same tim the coaction bereflector and a focussed electric illuminattween the shaft 21 and the worm wheel 27 ing element therein. Said reflector is prois such that'the said shaft will travelinan orbit about said worm wheel, carrying with it the bracket 22, the motor casing 15,1and the driving mechanism between the motor and the shaft 21, and the casing '10, thereby moving the parts to a position to direct the beam laterally. The reverse action takes place upon the operation of the other push button controlling the motor. It will be understood, of course that while the casing 10 is moving to the right or left, as the case may be, the lamp 13' is also being moved up and down, as previously described. The

' gear ratio is "such that the last mentioned movement of the lamp is much faster than the lateralmovement of the casing 10'. Movement of the lamp is arrested as soon as the push button is released, and if the lamp worm wheel 26. a The contact 32 is provided with a portion which overlies and normally engages the contact 33, and projects overthe top of the worm shaft 21. Said shaft is provided with a cam portion 34:, which'is positioned to engage and raise the contact 32 while the casing 10 is positioned to project the light beam directly forward. As the shaft travels about the worm wheel 26, the cam portion will be moved to a position that will prevent itfrom engaging with the contact 32 and said contact will spring back into engagement with the contact 33. Itwill be understood that the location of the dark zone established during the travel of the lamp may be changed by grouping the contacts 32 and 33 in different positions on the wheel 26, so

as to vary the distance the worm shaft 21 will have to travel in its orbit about the worm wheel 26 before it will engage with the contact 32. i v

In the modification illustrated in Figure I 5, the reflectorcasing of the lamp 35 is pivotally supported-by a bracket 36, secured to a I casing 37 in which is mounted the motor casing - '24 is connected at its forwardend to a lug 38 projecting rearwardly from the casing 35.

- The movement producing mechanism is the same as that already described and operates in the same manner.

The advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which it belongs. For instance, it will be noted that up and down and right and left movements may be imparted the lamp in a For this purpose, a simple form of and 1ts cooperating parts. The pitman manner to project the beam of the lamp in corresponding directions, and that these movements may be effected by merely pressing a push button, thus avoiding awkward manual manipulation. A further important advantage is that the beam of light is automatically cut off when it is projected in a direction that will tend to blind the driver of an approaching vehicle. This is of particular importance in view of the laws now in force in one or more States which prohibit the use of spotlights unless they are equipped with means for positively preventing the directing of the beam into the eyes ofan approaching driver.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed is 1. Alamp of the character described comprising a casing, a lamp pivotally mounted within said casing on an axis extending transversely of the casing, and motor operated means also within the casing for moving said casing on an axis at right angles to the axis of pivotal movement of said lamp.

2. A lamp of the character described comprising a supporting casing, a lamp pivotally mounted therein, a motor mounted in said casing, means operated by said motor for rocking said lamp on its pivotal axis, and

means also operated by said motor formoving said casing on an axis at right-angles to the axis of movement of said lamp.

3. A lamp of the character described comprising a supporting casing, a lamp pivotally mounted therein, a motor, a drive shaft operated by said motor, means connected to said drive shaft for rocking said lamp on its pivotal axis, and means cooperating with said shaft for simultaneously moving said casing on an axis at right angles to the axis of move- K ment of said lamp, I 4. A lamp of the character described comprising a supporting casing, a lamp pivotally mounted therein, a motor, a gear wheel operated by said motor, means operatedby said gear wheel for rocking said lamp on its axis, and other means cooperating with said gear wheel for simultaneously effectingpivotal movementof the casing on an axis at right angles to the axis of rotation of said lamp.

5. A lamp of the character described comprising a supporting casing, a lamp pivotally mounted therein,"a motor, a gear wheel operated by said motor, a finger connected to said lamp, a and said nger so that the lamp will be rocked .on its pivotal axis, and means cooperating with said gear wheel forsimultaneously 1mparting pivotal movement to the casing on an axis at right angles to the axisof movement of said lamp.

itman connecting-said gear wheel 6. A lamp of the character described comprising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported by said casing, a fixed member located within said casing on an axis at right angles to the axis of movement of said lamp, means cooperating With said fixed member to impart movement to said casing about said member as an axis, and a common means for moving the casing and simultaneously and independently rocking the lamp on its axis.

7. A lamp of the character described comprising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported by said casing, a fixed shaft located within said casing at right angles to the axis of movement of the lamp and having a stationary gear wheel, a shaft supported by said casing and having a complemental member meshing with said gear wheel so as to travel in an orbit about the same, and a common means for moving the casing and simultaneously and independently rocking said lamp on its axis.

. 8. A lamp of the character described comrising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported y said casing, a fixed shaft projecting into said casing at right angles to the axis of movement of said lamp, a gear wheel fixed to said shaft, a shaft rotatably supported by said casing and having complement-a1 means reacting with said gear wheel so that rotation of said last mentioned shaft will cause it to travel in an orbit about said wheel, and means for actuating said rotatable shaft and simul taneously rocking said lamp on its axis.

9. A lamp of the character described comprising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported within said casing, a fixed gear located within said casingon an axis at'right angles to the axis of movement of said lamp, a shaft supported by said casing and having complemental means reacting with said gear Wheel so that rotation of said shaft will cause it to travel in an orbit around said wheel, a gear wheel for driving said shaft, means for rotating said gear wheel, and means operated by the last mentioned gear wheel for rocking said lamp on its axis.

10. A lamp of the character described comrising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported y said casing, a fixed shaft extending into said casing at right angles to the axis of movement of said lamp, a worm wheel fast on said shaft, a worm shaft supported by said casing and engaging said worm wheel so that rotation of the worm shaft will cause it to move in an orbit about said worm wheel and impart corresponding pivotal movement to said casing, a gear wheel secured to one end of said shaft to drive the same, means for operating the gear wheel, and means operated by the gear wheel for also imparting movement to said lamp on its axis.

11. A lamp-of the character described comprising acasing, a lamp pivotally mounted within said casing, motor operated means also mounted within said casing for moving it on an axis at right angles to the axls of movement of said lamp, and means for temrocking said lamp on its pivotal axis, means,

also operated by said motor for moving said casing 011 an axis at right angles to the axis of movement of said lamp, and means controlled by the casing-moving means for temporarily breaking the circu t to said lamp during a portion of the movement thereof on its pivotal axis. a

13. A lamp of the character described comprising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported by said casing, a fixed member located Within said cas ng on an axis at right angles to the axis of movement of said lamp, motor driven means cooperating with said fixed member to impart movement to said casing about said member as an axis, means for simultaneously and independently rocking the lamp on its axis, contacts controlling the circuit to the lamp, and means operated by the casing-movcuit at said contacts.

14. A lamp of the character described com prising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported by said casing, a fixed shaft projected into said cas ng at right angles to the axis of movement of said lamp, a gear wheel fixed to said shaft, a shaft supported by said casing and having complemental means reacting with said gear wheel so that rotation of said shaft will cause it to travel in an orbit about said wheel, means for rotating said shaft and simultaneously rocking said lamp on its axis, normally closed contacts carried by said fixed shaft and controlling the circuit to said lamp, and means carried by the last mentionedshaft for temporarily breaking the circuit at said contacts.

15. A lamp of the character described 'comv prising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported by said casing, a fixed shaft extending into said casing at right angles to the axis of movement of said lamp, a worm wheel fast on said shaft, a worm shaft supported by said casing and engaging said worm wheel so that rota-' tion of the worm shaft will cause it to move in an orbit about said worm wheel and impart corresponding pivotal movement to said casing to drive the same, means for operating the gear wheel, means operated by the gear wheel for also imparting movement to said lamp on its axis, contacts on 'said worm wheel and controlling the circuit to said lamp, and means on said worm shaft for temporarily breaking the circuit at said contacts.

16. A lamp of the chara'cter'described com- 'prising a casing, a lamp pivotally supported by said casing, a fixed shaft extending into said casing at right angles to the axis of move ment of said lamp, a Worm wheel fast on said shaft, a worm shaft supportedby said casing and engaging said worm Wheel so that rotation of the worm shaft will cause it to move in an orbit about said Worm wheel and impart corresponding pivotal movement to said casing, .a gear Wheelsecu'red to one end of said shaft to drive the same; means for-operating the gear wheel, means operated by the gear wheel for also imparting movement'to said lamp on its axis, contacts on said worm wheel and controlling the circuit to said lamp, one of said contacts overlying and normally engaging the other and also having a portion positioned to project over said worm shaft, and a cam on said worm shaft positioned to engage said contact.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY H.MORETON. 

